Snippets (Just A Little Peace)
by VampireDA3
Summary: Snippets is just that. A collection of little events that take place before the final half of the last chapter in Just A Little Peace, mostly of Alucard and his daughter. If you've not read Just A Little Peace I doubt any of these will make much sense.


Blood flood through the city streets in rivers as the screams of the dying echoed through the night. Alucard grinned as he stepped up beside his mate who watched the carnage from the top of a skyscraper. It was just so perfect. Right up until he watched, frozen in place, as a broken signpost hurtled from the street below impaled his beloved. She screamed as she toppled off the edge of the roof.

Alucard jerked awake gasping for a breath he didn't need, then the room slowly came into focus. Unfamiliar, but still not the deserted rooftop. The room at the Penwood estate Margaret was kind enough to let them stay in while they work to right the world again was just as elegant as any of the Knight's estates, but it still wasn't home. He looked over at his mate half sprawled across the bed and let his eyes roam over her bare back. No shafts of twisted metal protruded from the unblemished skin. He leaned down intent to press a kiss to the area his nightmare had marred when another scream tore through the quiet of the early morning.

Integra didn't so much as flench, a testament to how much the woman had wore herself down. Alucard barely brushed his lips against the back of her shoulder before slipping out of bed, then walked silently over to the crib.

The little wailing creature fell silent as he looked down into the crib. She smiled, revealing toothless gums, as she reached toward him. Alucard hesitated then reached inside the crib and she immediately clung to his finger. It still amazed him the tiny baby was his. His and Integra's. During his days as a human he hadn't been expected to have anything to do with the child so he really had no idea how to care for an infant. Integra had tried several times the past week to encourage him to do more than just watch her care for their daughter without any success. It wasn't that he felt it was her place to take care of their daughter, he just had no idea what he was doing and was terrified of doing something to harm the baby.

He carefully removed his finger from the little girl's grasp and she pugged up as soon as the contact was lost. Before she could let loose another one of those screams he lifted her from the crib and cradled her against his chest as he walked over to sit down in the old rocking chair.

"I know you can't be hungry, your mother fed you two hours ago." He whispered.

Katima only smiled in response.

Alucard smiled and reached up to lightly stroke his fingertips over his daughter's soft cheek. His smile faded as his fingers drifted down to touch the stump of her arm. The rage bubbled up within him like a volcano. Rage at himself. He had been the foolish one to bring that woman back to their home. He had been the one to put his family at risk.

The tiny face scrunched up in preparation of another wail, but relaxed again when Alucard sighed and drug his thoughts back to the present. She was here and a limb could be regenerated once she was old enough to learn how. A shadow extended to retrieve the blanket from the crib and he tucked the soft fabric around the baby before gently rocking her.

Katima yawned and snuggled down into her blanket, gaining a smile from her father.

"Sleep well, my little angel."

The first thing that greeted Integra when she woke was an empty crib. In a panic she leapt from the bed then froze as her gaze settled on her mate lounging in the rocking chair. Tucked in his arms and bundled in her blanket was their daughter, sleeping peacefully. It was no wonder she didn't get woke up by a crying baby. A baby she hadn't wanted at first, but now she wouldn't trade the baby or the crazy man who'd turned her life upside down for anything. With a smile she walks over beside the chair and leans down to place a kiss on her daughter's forehead, then a second for the slumbering monster before slipping out of the room.


End file.
